Employees at a Birmingham-based firm today spoke out for the "forgotten workers" that supply MG Rover, claiming the car maker's current financial plight has left them in limbo.

Staff from Rudolph & Hellman Logistics, which is based next to MG Rover's Longbridge plant, said their futures were also uncertain.

Bosses at the German-owned firm handed about 160 warehouse workers a letter this morning informing them that weekly employees would be paid on Thursday and monthly employees on Friday.

But the letter added: "Production at MG Rover continues to be suspended and there is no requirement for our services."

That left their future employment uncertain, it said.

A handful of employees, who were told to go home until further notice, told reporters they were unable to look for other jobs, or claim unemployment benefit, as they had not yet been laid off.

"We're the forgotten workers," said one man, who declined to give his name, citing fear of company sanctions. "No-one mentions us and we directly supply MG Rover."

Some 90 per cent of the logistics firm's business comes from receiving and distributing parts to trackside for assembly at Longbridge.

But "millions of pounds-worth" of parts are now lying idle in the warehouses after car production stopped last week, they added.

Another worker, who also refused to be identified, said: "We don't know if we're going to be paid. We haven't been made redundant, we haven't been laid off. What can we do?"

One of his colleagues said: "My wife works at MG Rover. I don't know if we've got a future. We've been left in limbo."

Nick Paul, chairman of the MG Rover Taskforce, urged supply companies on Monday not to lay off staff as a "knee-jerk reaction" to the suspension of production at Longbridge. He asked firms to contact them and he revealed that #40 million was available to offset wages and help with re-training.